Bundt Pans: Everything About Them

[nicolekaplan]

nordicware rules

the creator of the company and bundt pan passed away about a year ago and there was alot written on the subject, including recipes for the original tunnel of fudge cake. (i think there was a great article in the ny times)

[ludja]

Kaiser bakeware from Germany is also very good. Here's a link to two pages of their bundtpans:

click

[StephMac]

If you're only going to get one, the original, classic bundt pan or a plain tube pan is probably your best bet. As they say, it never goes out of style...

My personal favorite is the cathedral pan, which I just got last year and makes a spectacular gingerbread : http://www.nordicware.com/b2c/product_deta...t=4&prod_cat=18

And I like the fleur-de-lis pan, too- it's not overly fancy, but very elegant: http://www.nordicware.com/b2c/product_deta...t=4&prod_cat=18

[Veena]

Thanks for all the responses! I had almost decided to buy Nordicware's 60th-anniversay edition, but now the Fleur-de-lis also beckons.

I noticed that Kaiser offers a commercial-weight steel pan (La Forme). How does this compare to the cast aluminum of Nordicware? Isn't aluminum better than steel for baking?

Veena

[heleen1]

I have the Fleur the lis pan, my mom has a Kaiser la Forme pan. We love them both. I have a lot of Kaiser springform pans, and to me, they don't get any better (for the home baker). They are a lot more durable than other brands I have used.

[cajungirl]

Thanks for all the responses!  I had almost decided to buy Nordicware's 60th-anniversay edition, but now the Fleur-de-lis also beckons. 

I noticed that Kaiser offers a commercial-weight steel pan (La Forme).  How does this compare to the cast aluminum of Nordicware?  Isn't aluminum better than steel for baking?

Veena

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You'll love the Fleur de lis. I use it all the time and get so many compliments on the presentation.

[lperry]

I was in Homegoods today and they just got in a shipment of the different shaped bundt pans. I saw the Bavarian, the fleur de lis, the rose, and a couple of others. They were marked between $12 and $16 each. I am very tempted to buy one (or two, or three), however, all my recipes for bundt-style cakes are for the traditional twelve cup molds. All the pretty Nordicware molds are ten cup. I hate to put the extra batter in a mini loaf pan when the whole idea is to have a gorgeous molded cake. It's also about four pieces of cake that are lost.

I'm fairly wary of fiddling with an old family recipe because, as we all know, certain cakes *must* be made every year or the universe will cease to exist. I'm sure there will be plenty of family flak coming my way just for using a different shape. If, in addition to that, the cake tastes "wrong," well, it's all over.

So there you have it. The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter. Any ideas?

-L

[kitchenmage]

So there you have it.  The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter.  Any ideas?   

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I'd make a few small cupcake-like servings for the kids (or the cook) and if that doesn't work out, I'd send the pretty new pan to the first person who gave you a suggestion on eGullet.

[MissAmy]

I don't see why it's a problem to bake off the extra in a mini-loaf pan as cook's treat/kid's snack.

[azlee]

I was in Homegoods today and they just got in a shipment of the different shaped bundt pans.  I saw the Bavarian, the fleur de lis, the rose, and a couple of others.  They were marked between $12 and $16 each.  I am very tempted to buy one (or two, or three), however, all my recipes for bundt-style cakes are for the traditional twelve cup molds.  All the pretty Nordicware molds are ten cup.  I hate to put the extra batter in a mini loaf pan when the whole idea is to have a gorgeous molded cake.  It's also about four pieces of cake that are lost. 

I'm fairly wary of fiddling with an old family recipe because, as we all know, certain cakes *must* be made every year or the universe will cease to exist.  I'm sure there will be plenty of family flak coming my way just for using a different shape.  If, in addition to that, the cake tastes "wrong," well, it's all over.           

   

So there you have it.  The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter.  Any ideas?   

-L

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nordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other places

[lperry]

nordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other places

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So in other words, what I really need is even more pans? I feel very enabled right now. Thanks !

[The Old Foodie]

I think you need to check whether the "cups" are American or Imperial in both the new ones you are contemplating and the ones you already have.

There is a difference between cup measures, and it would depend on where the moulds were made.

I haven't got the link to a conversion table on this computer (I'm not at home at present), but there are several online, and I think there was a recent thread on the topic. Failing that you'd need to fill one up with water and tip it into the other and see what the difference was, if any.

Maybe there isn't an issue!

[kitchenmage]

nordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other places

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So in other words, what I really need is even more pans? I feel very enabled right now. Thanks !

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But not just any pans: special pans! those adorable pans you want but can't justify because you "never have just two cups of cake batter"...maybe the ones that cost a buck more, you're only buying a few after all...

[browniebaker]

Most of the cake recipes I have tried, from cookbooks and from friends, don't fill the Nordicware classic 12-cup Bundt pan, and they bake up into cakes that do not rise all the way to the top of the pan.

When I use those same recipes in the Nordicware 10-cup pans I have (the festive, the fleur-de-lis, and the violet pans), the cakes do rise to fill the entire cake pan. You want the entire design of the mold to be shown on the cake, especially because some of the prettiest detail is at the base of the cake.

I can't think of a time when, filling a 10-cup pan, I have had to pour off batter to bake in another pan. Nor have I had to scale down cake recipes.

At those prices, I'd buy the 10-cup pans and give them a try with your recipes.

[Marlene]

nordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other placesnordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other places

I have the mini bundt pans and they are perfect for this sort of thing. They're pretty too!

[lperry]

I think you need to check whether the "cups" are American or Imperial in both the new ones you are contemplating and the ones you already have.

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All these pans are made by Nordicware, so there shouldn't be a problem with conversion. I do have a couple of German made molds that I had to fill with water.

Most of the cake recipes I have tried, from cookbooks and from friends, don't fill the Nordicware classic 12-cup Bundt pan, and they bake up into cakes that do not rise all the way to the top of the pan.

When I use those same recipes in the Nordicware 10-cup pans I have (the festive, the fleur-de-lis, and the violet pans), the cakes do rise to fill the entire cake pan. You want the entire design of the mold to be shown on the cake, especially because some of the prettiest detail is at the base of the cake.

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This is a good point. How close to the top do you fill the decorative pans?

I have the mini bundt pans and they are perfect for this sort of thing.  They're pretty too!

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Another good point! I may need to experiment with many pans to effectively put the question to rest.

[browniebaker]

Most of the cake recipes I have tried, from cookbooks and from friends, don't fill the Nordicware classic 12-cup Bundt pan, and they bake up into cakes that do not rise all the way to the top of the pan.

When I use those same recipes in the Nordicware 10-cup pans I have (the festive, the fleur-de-lis, and the violet pans), the cakes do rise to fill the entire cake pan. You want the entire design of the mold to be shown on the cake, especially because some of the prettiest detail is at the base of the cake.

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This is a good point. How close to the top do you fill the decorative pans?

How close to the top depends on how much a cake rises, some cakes rising more than others. From experience I know that my fruitcake hardly rises at all, and I fill very nearly to the top. With cakes that rise more, I'd say I usually fill the 10-cup pan to about three-fourths the height of the pan, but it could be more or less than that, depending on the cake.

I think once you start using the 10-cup pans, you'll get a feel for how much to fill the pan.

Doing the research on this is a great excuse to buy new pans!

[FWED]

Has anyone had problems with the highly decorated pans releasing the cake once it is baked? A couple of years ago I purchased (at great expense) and used a couple of different Nordic Wear non-stick mini bunt pans. They were highly detailed and are still available. Once the cakes were baked and I had waited the suggested 10 minutes for them to cool they would not release. It might have been the type of cake (it was a light wt chocolate cake out of Chocolatier magazine). With subsequent tries I found that I needed to coat the pans with Crisco or butter and flour even though the pans are listed as "non stick". I wrote to Nordic Wear but received no answer. I also found that Bakers Joy and Pam did not seem to work as well as butter or Crisco. I still have the pans but don't use them as much because of the hassle and have been hesitant about buying others.

[browniebaker]

Has anyone had problems with the highly decorated pans releasing the cake once it is baked?  A couple of years ago I purchased (at great expense) and used a couple of different  Nordic Wear non-stick mini bunt pans.  They were highly detailed and are still available.  Once the cakes were baked and I had waited the suggested 10 minutes for them to cool they would not release.  It might have been the type of cake (it was a light wt chocolate cake out of Chocolatier magazine).  With subsequent tries I found that I needed to coat the pans with Crisco or butter and flour even though the pans are listed as "non stick".  I wrote to Nordic Wear but received no answer.  I also found that Bakers Joy and Pam did not seem to work as well as butter or Crisco.  I still have the pans but don't use them as much because of the hassle and have been hesitant about buying others.

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I once had a phone conversation about this with the lady who answers the phone at Nordic Ware -- always the same lady every time I call to place an order! She said the grease and flour the pan just as you would any other cake. I use a pastry brush to brush shortening or butter into all the crevices, then flour the pan. But lots of people use a mix that has both fat and flour in it. I've never had a cake not come out properly.

[Kayakado]

Treat yourself to a couple of mini bundt or ring pans to hold the left overs or adjust your recipe to make less batter. If I make a larger cake and have leftover batter I can make small cakes for later or for box lunches. I got inspired by the cookbook small batch baking. Making cute single serving desserts for everyday dinners is perfect.

As for sticking, my nordic bundt pans said to brush them with butter and refrigerate them until ready to use them. This seems to work better than greasing/flouring or using cake sprays and it doesn't leave a flour coating on the cake.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've been doing lots of experiments with those 10-cup Nordicwares and yes, I have left-over batter (on one occasion, I figured I would see how bad it was and a good two cups of batter literally spilled over). But it DOES matter on the recipe; like Browniebaker said, a fruitcake may not rise nearly as high as other batters. I have been trying to scale down recipes by a third or whatever. I have found it quite annoying and wish the highly decorated pans WERE indeed 12- or 15-cup sized!

On the releasing question, I have had no problems. I melt butter and generously paint the cracks of the design before adding flour or cocoa. If I see a blank spot, I re-apply. It is a long process, mind you, but a workable one.

[Squirrelly Cakes]

I have several of these pans by Nordic Ware, the violets, the rose, the fleur de lis etc. All 10 cups.

Where is can be a problem is if you use a standard 2-layer cake mix. The mix will rise right up to the top and you will get a fairly large crown with some mixes. I haven't had any problems with overflow though.

Standard cake mixes make about 4-5 cups of batter, so this again proves that your batter rises more in a tube or bundt pan. Most standard from-scratch recipes that make about 4-5 cups of batter, do well in these pans also.

I use the same recipes I use for a 12 cup bundt, for a 10 cup.

I have never had sticking issues, I grease using a pastry brush and Crisco shortening. Then I flour the pan. For chocolae cakes I subsitute sifted cocoa powder for the flour. I also let the cakes cool 15-20 minutes before turning them out to finish cooling.

The Williams Sonoma site has some wonderful recipes.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/srch/recipe...bmitted&x=9&y=8

I highly recommend the Spiced Walnut, the Lavender-Lemon, the Mixed Berry and the Sour Cream/Chocolate - if you want a really strong flavoured rich chocolate cake.

I really love these pans. They bake beautifully.

[RuthWells]

Has anyone had problems with the highly decorated pans releasing the cake once it is baked?  A couple of years ago I purchased (at great expense) and used a couple of different  Nordic Wear non-stick mini bunt pans.  They were highly detailed and are still available.  Once the cakes were baked and I had waited the suggested 10 minutes for them to cool they would not release.  It might have been the type of cake (it was a light wt chocolate cake out of Chocolatier magazine).  With subsequent tries I found that I needed to coat the pans with Crisco or butter and flour even though the pans are listed as "non stick".  I wrote to Nordic Wear but received no answer.  I also found that Bakers Joy and Pam did not seem to work as well as butter or Crisco.  I still have the pans but don't use them as much because of the hassle and have been hesitant about buying others.

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I do very well with an oil-plus-flour spray, applied verrrrrrrrry liberally. Pam's version and Baker's Joy both work for me, but you gotta use a LOT.

[lperry]

I've been doing lots of experiments with those 10-cup Nordicwares and yes, I have left-over batter (on one occasion, I figured I would see how bad it was and a good two cups of batter literally spilled over).

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This is what I am afraid will happen. The biggest problem is that the vast majority of my cake recipes are from my Grandmothers and my Mom. I never paid attention how high they rise because I was told EXACTLY how to make the cake, and EXACTLY which pan(s) to use. I'm going to have to pay better attention.

[andiesenji]

I have a large collection of Bundt pans, including one of the very first ones made by NordicWare and sold through a Hadassah group in Minnesota - purchased by my mother and passed on to me.

It is a very large pan, will hold 12 cups of batter which may rise slightly over the top, however with very dense cakes, that rise very little, it will hold 15 cups of batter.

Earlier this year NordicWare introduced the Limited Edition Original Bundt Cake pan which is advertised at 10-15 cups. These are all American measurements.

60th Anniversary Bundt pan

and, it has holes in the "ears" to make it easy to hang up for display.

The pan itself.

And just this month, NordicWare has introduced the newest Bundt pan, the Stadium pan.

which I think is pretty nifty. needless to say, I have ordered one. There are a lot of possibilities for this pan, not just a football stadium, but also I have visions of making an ice hockey arena - ice cream cake, with a slab of ice cream for the base, topped with the cake arena.

About.com has lots of advice about baking with Bundt pans.

In an email received today, Cooking.com noted this cake turntable for rectangular cakes is now on sale. It should be handy for half sheet cakes and cakes like the Stadium Bundt cake.

Edited September 28, 2006 by andiesenji (log)